


The Spark That Fuelled The Flame

by 1_spritzbi_2



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti)
Genre: (Don’t worry it isn’t that bad), (i try), Afterlife, Bill Denbrough Loves Mike Hanlon, Cannon compliant, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Heaven, Humour, M/M, Mentions of PTSD, Mentions of Suicide, Mike Hanlon Loves Bill Denbrough, Oc characters for family, People In Love, Post It (2019), Some angst, implied suicidal thoughts/actions, mentions of depression, you can’t convince me otherwise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-08
Updated: 2020-02-08
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:41:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22621192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1_spritzbi_2/pseuds/1_spritzbi_2
Summary: Eddie wakes up, not surrounded by It or Richie as he suspected he would be, but instead at the quarry and meets people he never thought he’d see again.Or:This is the story of how all the Losers die.
Relationships: Ben Hanscom/Beverly Marsh, Bill Denbrough/Mike Hanlon, Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier
Comments: 10
Kudos: 49





	The Spark That Fuelled The Flame

The calm and painless atmosphere was very different to the stressed and very painful atmosphere that Eddie had just been in. He had been held by Richie and he needed to tell him something, that was the last thing he remembered before he ended up here. Where was here? He definitely wasn’t in a hospital, he’d know those anywhere even with his eyes closed. Also he wasn’t in a bed which would definitely be against policy since he had been at bed through the chest by It. Wait, he’d been stabbed through the chest. He opened his eyes, which he had only just realised were closed, and he saw the sky. 

Definitely not a hospital.

He sat up and he saw the quarry. Well it wasn’t, it still looked the same but there was a house next to it. It was a nice house, quite tall, three stories at least but he was a bit disoriented by the change in scenery to actually count. There was arches and intricate details that Ben would probably be able to pinpoint to an exact time. 

Ben. 

His friends where were they? Had they left him there as a prank? A pretty stupid prank considering he- he felt his chest- wait never mind he didn’t have a hole in his chest, so prank ruled out. A dream? Probably a dream. Though that didn’t answer the question of where he was. 

So he tried to reason. 

So he’s at the quarry. But it’s different. So it could be an alternate reality. How would he get there? Maybe It? It was prob-

“Eddie?” A voice came from behind him. The voice sounded of bike rides through town and of school and of happiness. Of home. Of memories he had forgotten for more than half his life. 

He whipped his head around to find a young boy with curly blonde hair and even younger boy with shirt dark hair staring at him sadly. 

“Stanley? Georgie?” Wait they were dead. Did that make him dead? No no it didn’t. He was just hallucinating or dreaming, he had passed out but he’d go to a hospital and he’d get patched up and then he’d wake up with Richie next to him, cause he obviously would be. And then he’d wake up and tell Richie how much he loved him, because that’s what he needed to say to him that’s what. And then they’d hopefully live together or if the the feelings wer-

“Your dead Eddie,” Stanley said, he was sad Eddie could tell. But he didn’t worry about that cause he was about to prove his dead best friend and his other best friends younger dead brother, that were right now really strong hallucinations, wrong. 

He stood up and was about to answer when he realised he was a lot shorter then he had just been. He looked down and he realised he was back in his younger self. Damn did he really wear these shorts? Also these hallucinations are getting strong cause he really felt younger. Anyway back onto the task at hand. Proving his brain wrong. 

“Ah we’ll see that’s where you are wrong my brain who is impersonating people I have lost. I am actually alive and this is a dream and I’m about to wake up so I’m just gon-“ he was cut short by Georgie. 

“Eddie you are dead,” he sounded a lot more mature then a 6 year old should but then again he had been dead for 27 years, “I know it’s a lot to take in but the sooner you accept it the easier it’ll be to handle.”

Everything hit him like a truck. He was dead. Ok wow that was new. He didn’t mind it in all honesty, it was nice and calm but dammit he had things to do like telling Richie how he felt and growing old. Both were on his bucket list so he was pretty sure he legally needed to complete them. 

Ok ok ok. Calm down. (It didn’t work). We just, I don’t know, bargain with God? Get a second chance? Ugh but he was gay. Holy shit he was gay. Why did he get married? How did he forget this? God his life was in shambles. Maybe the devil will listen. He’s pretty sure the devil wasn’t homophobic like god so that was a pl-

His thoughts were cut off by Stan’s arms wrapping around him in a tight warm embrace. He hadn’t hugged Stan in more than 27 years. He had never really been physically affectionate and only hugged when he was genuinely worried about the other person. So he must of worried him, that wasn’t good, worry wasn’t good for the dead, or maybe it was. He didn’t know, this was his first time trying the whole death thing so he didn’t know the logistics. 

He returned the embrace and squashed his face against the other boys chest. They stayed like that for a while. Georgie also joined in tho he let go quicker cause it hurt to stretch his arms around both of them. He may have the brain of a 30 something person but he was still six. 

After they had pulled apart from each other Stan led Eddie to a bench, they both sat down while Georgie sat in front. The two older boys stared at each other before they both blurred out things at once. 

“I almost told Richie.”

“I'm sorry.”

They both smiled at each other before Stan nodded at him to continue. 

“I nearly told Rich,” he didn’t need to explain, he knew Stan knew, “ I- I had just been stabbed through the chest by It and- I uh- I was being held by Rich and I was about to tell him but- but I died before I could.” He looked up to see Stan staring at him. He looked sad. That didn’t help his mood. 

“Well what I was gonna say was I’m sorry.”

“What, why?”

“For ya know,” he paused, “killing myself.”

“You don't need to be sorry no one hates you everyone forgave you.”

“I know but I was just so scared and- and I couldn’t go back I couldn’t, so I took myself out of the equation to make sure you’d all make it.” He let out a wet chuckle at the irony. 

“It’s ok, really. Everyone forgave you but we all felt guilty. I wish I could’ve done something I really do.”

Stan smiled at him, “it’s ok.”

Stan got up and pulled Eddie up by the arm, he dragged him down to the quarry and pushed him in fully clothed. It wasn’t fun being pushed in, his clothes stuck to him in uncomfortable ways that would surely leave rashes but he couldn’t bring himself to care so he pulled in Stan after him which earned a few colourful phrases. Georgie jumped in as well but being the smart one he is he changed into bathers and repeatedly called them morons for not doing the same. In the quarry the discussed It and how likely it would be for It to survive but after a day or maybe two they assumed the other losers had succeeded. 

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

They spent the following 40 odd years playing in the quarry or hanging out in the house that Eddie found out was where they slept or they explored further away. They hadn’t found much in the 40 years which was disappointing but none of them cared, they had people they cared about around them and they were happy. One day after hours of swimming in the quarry they were wrapped in towels heading towards the house to, well Eddie wasn’t sure, they could change with their minds but they prefered to do it the normal way so that’s what they were going to do. Well before they found someone else lying in the same spot Eddie had all those years ago. 

Stan has spotted him first then Georgie then Eddie. They all ground to a halt and watched Bill look around with a dazed and confused face before his eyes settled on Georgie. It took him a minute, you could practically see the cogs turning in his brain, but his eyes lit up and he raced towards Georgie, picked it up and and spun him around. He was crying, you could see the tears, but he was laughing and smiling and neither Stan nor Eddie could remember a time they saw him happier.

“Oh my god, oh my god,” Bill laughed, “Georgie god I’ve missed you, wait your dead so I’m dead, small price to pay.” Bill continued to babble on as he spun his brother around. 

“He lost his stutter,” Stan muttered. 

“He did.”

After a few minutes of constant laughing and babbling from the two brothers Bill seemed to notice his friends. The three stared at each other for a few seconds before they all collided in a bone crushing hug. 

“Oh my god this might be the best day of my life, no wait second, no thi- fourth. It’s the fourth best day of my life.” Bill muttered. Eddie smiled, so did Stan and Bill and Georgie who was watching. 

Stan pulled away and dragged Bill over to the bench that he had dragged Eddie to when he had first appeared. The three older boys sat on the bench and Georgie sat in front again. They were in for a long conversation. 

“What happened after I died?” Eddie was the first to speak. 

Bill’s face turned sad for a moment before answering. “Uh well we defeated It and then we went home.” Stan and Eddie gave him a pointed glare, they needed more than that. Bill sighed before continuing. “Ok so we defeated It we all went back to our places. And as Ben so elegantly put it your deaths were the spark that fuelled the flame that killed It.”

“Elegant,” Eddie commented. 

“Yeah,” Bill smiled before continuing, “any way we went home and Bev and I got divorced from our partners.”

“Oh I’m sorry,” Stan said. 

“Don’t be Bev’s husband was a piece of shit and mine and Audra’s relationship was going down hill before Derry. Anyway that happened and Bev and Ben got together, they both ran off together for a holiday that lasted like 3 months they said they needed to get away which I get but it was like straight away and Mikey and Richie were a mess.”

“Mikey?” Eddie said with a teasing glint, he wanted to ask about Richie but figured he find out. 

“Shut up,” he answered but a pink blush settled in his face. “But yea they went away at the worst time, I know I have no right to be angry but I was left to pick up the pieces that were Mikey and Richie. But anyway Richie sold his place and moved in with me and took a break from his job for 6 months stating he lost two people very close to him,” he fixed Stan and Eddie with a pointed look, “said he needed time his fan base was very supportive which helped him.”

“How long did he live at your place?” Eddie asked. 

“Only a year, after he got back in his feet he bought a place a 5 minute walk away from mine. Uhh oh Mikey he moved out of Derry and came to live with me.”

“How long did he live with you?” Stan asked, speaking up for the first time. 

“Uh well that’s the thing,” Bill’s blush worsened, “we actually realised we had feelings for each other and we got married, he still lives there actually.”

“Billy’s in loooooove,” Georgie sing songed. 

“Shut it Georgie,” Bill said and tried to hit his brother on the back of the head but you could see Georgie was right. Bill looked dazed with love even thinking about Mike. Eddie could’ve had that with Richie but he’s probably moved on and gotten married by now. He shook his head trying to rid himself of the thoughts. 

“Ben and Bev also got married, we both had empty seats saved for you three at the receptions,” he mumbled the last part, his eyes filled with tears, but he smiled still. 

“What about Richie? Did he marry?” Eddie asked. Bill looked up with a knowing look in his eye before shaking his head. 

“No, no he didn’t stayed single.” Eddie nodded slightly. He didn’t know what to say. Yay? Good for him? Oh no? So instead he asked something else. 

“Did you have kids?”

“Yeah yeah we did,” bill’s smile brightened more, “Mikey and I had 3 kids, our oldest was a son and we named him George but everyone called him Georgie,” he smiled at his younger brother who was beaming up at him, “and then we had a daughter and named her Sydney cause we weren’t going to call our daughter Stanley and then our youngest we named Edward but everyone calls him Eddie.” Bill's smile was wide and bright as he thought of his children. Eddie was also beaming, he couldn’t believe that Bill and Mike’s kid was named after him, “Oh and Ben and Bev had one son and named him Stanley with the middle name Edward.” Now Stan was beaming as well. 

“So you remembered,” Stan said. 

“Yeah,” Bill’s face became troubled, “we remembered. Sometimes I wish we hadn’t. The nightmares, god the nightmares, they were awful. We all had them for years after. But Rich and Mikey has it the worst by far they, god they were bad especially the first year. They both had depression and PTSD and they felt super guilty over your guys' deaths. Richie only moved in with me cause I didn’t want him doing something stupid and if he lived with me I’d be able to keep and eye on him, same with Mikey. I convinced them to go to a therapist and they got better. They still had bad days where the guilt would crush them but they were better. So I let him move out but obviously Mikey stayed. But we all had nightmares for years after. I still had them in my last years, they were few and far between but they were there.”

“What- what did you mean when you said you didn’t want Rich to do something stupid?” Eddie knew but he didn’t want it to be true so he cling onto the hope he was just overreacting but that hope was crushed. 

“I think you know Eddie,” he replied staring at his hands. The silence was thick between the four but thankfully Georgie broke it before it got too much. 

“But there was good but right?”

“Oh yeah heaps, they put outweighed the bad by a lot. Mikey and I’s wedding was amazing and the kids being born were the happiest days of my life. And there was so much love. It was great and I’m so glad we remembered I would’ve just had a mediocre life with Audra if I hadn’t and I didn’t want that.”

“How did you die?”

“Oh yeah forgot about the whole being dead bit I got skin cancer 3 years ago so it looks like I finally lost that battle.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah… so what do you guys do around here?” That instantly lightened the mood and they started to explain what they had been doing for the past 40 years, they showed him hiding spots and ideal alone spaces and everything in between. 

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

5 years went by before the next loser showed up, Ben was found in the same spot as everyone else had shown up at. The normal greetings, the hugs and a few tears happened and soon Ben was updating them all on what happened. 

Mike and Richie were living in Bill’s house cause Richie realised he wasn’t invincible and needed help after he slipped in his apartment and broke a hip. He also mentioned that Bev was most likely living there as well since they had made a deal. 

He also told Bill all he knew about his kids and grandkids. Bill’s youngest and his husband, who was also called Eddie may I add, welcomed their second child and named him William which made Bill burst into tears. 

They showed him around the place explaining every little detail they could so they could draw out time. They needed something to do. But that ended soon enough and they headed for the quarry and then the house and repeat. They don’t care it was repetitive, they cared that they were with each other.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

The next was Mike 3 years after Ben. They had been walking up the hill talking when Ben froze followed by everyone else. Mike turned around and saw his friends staring back at him. He smiled and went to hug them. Chatter broke out again, hellos and hugs and complaints that they couldn’t breathe were a plenty. But everyone he’d forgotten Bill wasn’t there until the heard a strangled gasp. Everyone parted to see Bill staring at Mike with teary eyes and a blinding smile. The couple stared at each other for a minute, as if remembering every little detail of the younger version of the person they were in love with. 

“Mikey.”

“Bill.”

The words broke the walls that stood between them and Bill ran full pelt at the other boy and jumped into his arms. Mike caught him easily, it was obvious that it hadn't been the first time, and swung him around. They crushed each other in their arms until Mike but him down they stared at each other, faces mere inches apart. 

“I missed you so much.”

“I’ve missed you too Mikey.”

That broke another wall and the mere inches between their faces became zero. They kissed with passion and love and feelings that had been gathering for years. They tried to make up for lost time when one had been dead and the other alive. 

The other four, who were pretty sure they were forgotten by the couple, felt awkward watching their friends make out so they decided to he’d back to the quarry and give Mike his tour later. 

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Bev was next, 1 year later, she was found in the same place everyone else had been found. 

The reuniting of Ben and Bev had been similar to the one between the other couple but with less making out which everyone was thankful for. 

They gave the tour again and headed for the quarry but one thought couldn’t get out of Eddie’s head. 

Richie was next. 

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

A year had passed since Bev had arrived and Eddie was starting to worry. 

What if he didn’t come here when he died?

Which honestly didn’t make any sense. Bill and Stan had both said so when he talked to them about it. 

But the thought just wouldn’t leave. 

So to clear his mind he woke up at a stupidly early time and headed for the quarry for a cold swim. Why you may ask, well he thought that maybe he could freeze the thought out. As you can tell he was not thinking straight (ever) but still he thought it was worth a shot. 

As he passed the spot where everyone had been found he saw a boy with stupidly large glasses and messy black hair looking around. Their eyes locked. Eddie dropped his towel as Richie jumped to his feet. 

“Hey Eds.”

“Don’t call me that,” 

Then, like a magnetic force pulling them together, they crushed each other in hugs. 

“I’m so sorry Eds,” Richie sobbed. I repeat sobbed, it shocked Eddie to his core for Richie to be not only crying but sobbing. 

“What why?”

“You died I should’ve fought harder, god I’m sorry.”

“Hey, hey it’s ok, I’m ok, you’re ok, we’re all ok.”

Eddie looked up from where his head had been smushed in Richie’s chest and his eyes locked with the other boys red puffy ones. He needed to say it, he hadn’t forgotten what he needed to tell Richie the day he died and the feelings hadn’t diminished one bit. His anxiety washed away as he looked into the comforting eyes of his best friend. 

“I love you Richie,”

Richie smiled, a great big smile, and replies, “I love you to Eds.”

Eddie wasn’t sure which initiated the kiss, but, although it was short, barely a peck, it made Eddie feel like he was floating. The feeling of Richies’s lips against his own was intoxicating and he wanted more but he knew he needed to tell the others first. 

He went and woke up everyone, not once letting go of Richie’s hand, by screaming until they got up. The following greeting was like every other but more final, well he was the last loser so it made sense. 

Later that day, just after the sun had set, they all sat around a fire, a kind of celebration for having all the losers back together. 

Bill and Mike were sitting huddled under a blanket and leaning against a log, they’d occasionally whisper to each other or kiss but they were mainly just cuddling and revelling in the feeling of being close to the person they were in love with. 

Ben and Bev were doing something similar except they were looking at the stars and pointing out the ones they recognised. They had started doing it to deal with the nightmare but slowly it became they both wanted and enjoyed doing instead of something that only happened because they needed a distraction from the turmoil inside their brain. 

Stan and Georgie were doing their own thing. Stan reading his book and occasionally looking up just to see his friends, he would then smile and return to his book like nothing had happened. While Georgie played with some toys that Eddie didn’t know they had. 

Eddie and Richie were tangled in each other’s arms telling stories about what had happened in their time apart and whispering how much they loved each other. 

Laying there, in the arms of the man he loved surrounded by all his friends he felt like the luckiest man that had ever lived. 

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

The spark that fuelled the flame.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading.   
> Sorry if I got some characterisation wrong.   
> That’s it really thanks for reading.


End file.
